Victor Wembanyama wants to better distribute his energy between attack and defense

« This is information, not a question.» returns with a slight smile Victor Wembanyamaat the start of his press conference, to a journalist who points out a first match against Wolves with a bitter taste for him: an exceptional defensive performance, but well below his standards on the other side of the field.

« It starts with taking a few shots… “, blurted the Frenchman with a view to doing better in the second round. Last night, the giant finished with more blocks (12) than points scored (11). We will especially remember his low success percentage of 5/17 on shots, including 0/8 from distance!

To explain it, he highlights the management of his energy. HAS” Obviously, I spent a lot on one side of the field and, on the other, I overdid it. Offensively, I used too much energy in actions that didn’t really help the team, so it’s my fault. But the first thing is to start by putting some shots “, he insists.

No doubt he is referring to two actions that occurred in the last quarter. Served in both cases at the head of the racket behind the arc, he wanted to rise with the idea of ​​taking the shot after a feint. Before changing his mind in the first case, to try to find a teammate on an easily intercepted pass. In the second case, his business ended in an offensive foul.

Hesitations in attack

« It’s largely my fault because obviously my game wasn’t up to par tonight, even though that’s where the team is going to look for me. And if I had been there, if the offensive leaders of our team had been better, it would have been different. I need to watch the match film again to see a little more how the dynamic was set up “, continues the interior.

He stayed on the floor for 40 minutes, and thinks he played the last 16 minutes of the match. Problem: “ It happened like that, in a flash, and it’s not good. This means that I didn’t have the control over the match that I would have liked to have. »

“Wemby” also said he sometimes felt hesitant about when to score and when to pass. An observation validated by Mitch Johnson, on a collective level, by highlighting the physical dimension displayed by Rudy Gobert and his gang.

« They defend very well on the carrier, especially on direct actions where it’s mano-a-mano situations. They have guys capable of doing that. In the first half, we were a little undecided. I had the feeling that there were times when we were a bit in between, whether to shoot or not, drive or not, pass or not, generally speaking we were undecided “, notes the coach.

But the latter assures not to worry about the final stats sheet of his superstar, nor that of his lieutenant De’Aaron Foxauthor of only 10 points at 5/14 on shots, with 6 lost balls. The two men combined a 0/12 3-pointer, pulling the overall percentage down to 28% (10/36).

« I have to watch them again, but I felt like they were all good shots in rhythm and I have confidence that they will put their shots “, comments the coach. Similar speech for Victor Wembanyama: “ We must find within 48 hours what we can do best and I have no doubt that we will succeed.. »